


New Stories

by Lefaym



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-24
Updated: 2009-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lefaym/pseuds/Lefaym
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU -- A look at what might have happened had the 456 never shown up: The new team spends an evening at the pub.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Stories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Verasteine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verasteine/gifts).



> Thanks to used_songs at LJ for the beta.

"And then," said Ianto, pausing to swallow another mouthful of lager, "we had to redirect the entire shipment of chocolate muffins to Aberdeen, where the Giyranese traders finally got a hold of them."

On either side of him, Jack and Gwen laughed at the story, and Ianto thought that even Johnson might have cracked a smile. A very small one. On the opposite side of the table, Rupesh had succumbed to the seven (or was it eight?) pints that he'd already consumed; his head lay on the bench in front of him, pillowed on his forearms. Johnson, on the other hand, sat up straight, her eyes bright and alert. She was only on her second Bloody Mary for the evening, but Ianto suspected that she'd be able to drink a lot more than that before showing any sign of impairment.

Ianto himself was well into his fourth pint, and he could definitely feel the warm glow of the alcohol spreading through his veins, relaxing him. It was a funny old life, he mused to himself, as Gwen started in on a story about the time they'd battled the sentient slime ball. Only two days since Rupesh and Johnson had tried to infiltrate the Hub, nearly killing Gwen in the process (and actually killing Jack several times), now here they were, the newest members of the team, drinking with them at the pub. Not the most auspicious of beginnings, perhaps, but Ianto knew that he was hardly in a position to judge, given the circumstances surrounding his own entry into Torchwood Three.

Gwen had almost reached the point in her story where Ianto got covered in pink alien goo, when an alarm began to sound in Jack's pocket. Ianto, Gwen, and Johnson all immediately turned their attention to Jack, and even Rupesh managed to raise his head.

"Weevil alert," said Jack, taking the device from his coat. "Two of them in Moorland Park."

Johnson and Gwen stood immediately, their chairs scraping against the wooden floor, and Jack nodded.

"Meet you at the SUV," he told the two women, as he rose from his own seat. "I'll be about half a minute behind you."

Ianto began to stand himself, but Jack placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "You've had too much to drink," he said.

"I'm fine," Ianto insisted. "I can help." He forced himself upright, brushing Jack's hand away.

"You can help by finding a taxi and taking Rupesh home."

"But—"

"Gwen and I have been drinking water, and Johnson's barely had anything. If you come along now, you'll be a liability."

Part of Ianto knew that Jack was talking sense, but that didn't stop his words from stinging a little. Jack must have noticed, because he raised his hand to Ianto's shoulder again, more gently this time.

"Take care of Rupesh, then go back to your place. I'll meet you there when we're done."

And then, proving that a lot more than just the makeup of the team had changed over the last few days, Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto lightly on the lips, right there in the middle of the pub. Ianto felt himself flush as Jack pulled away from him, and he wondered for a moment how many people were looking at them, who might have seen—but then he decided that he didn't care. Let them look if they wanted to.

"Uh—so," said Ianto, gathering himself together. "See you later, yeah?"

"You bet." Jack grinned at him, before turning to hurry after Gwen and Johnson.

Ianto watched as Jack left, enjoying the way that his coat swished dramatically around his legs, and then turned to Rupesh. He wondered, idly, if their new doctor had even heard any of the stories they'd been telling before the Weevil alert, but he supposed it didn't matter in the end. There would be new stories soon enough, no doubt many of them more tragic than amusing, and Rupesh would be a part of them. Rupesh, and Johnson, and Gwen, and him and Jack together in more ways than one now; for a short time, at least, there would be new stories for all of them.


End file.
